Homesickness
by crazycat271
Summary: Swaine has returned to Hamelin at a time of calamity. Along with 3 new friends, will he be able to solve these new problems or will he have to break the promise he treasures most. Set in an AU.
1. Chapter 1

This is a AU story based in the world of Ni No Kuni.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ni No Kuni or it characters, they are owned by Level 5.

I do however own OC's Pepper, Cinder, and Amelia.

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*cough* *hack*

Another hacking fit shook the young boy, he raised his small pale hand to his mouth in an attempt to cover his feeble attempts of breathing. The child was then released from his outburst, wheezing as he fought for breath.

Cringing at the crackle in his throat as he gulped down air, his green eyes darted around the chamber, in an attempt to fine some relief for the ever growing pain in his neck. Eventually his eyes fell onto the entrance of the room, perhaps if he called one of the guards or servants would hear him. As he opened his mouth to call for help, a sharp pain shook his throat, reminding him of the situation. Too weak to move he lowered his gaze, clouded due to exhaustion, to the bottom of the bed, and gently drifted into sleep.

5 days ago, the young Prince Marcassin had fallen ill, it had appeared to be a simple flu during the first few days, but had quickly worsened to the point where the young boy could barely lift his head off the pillow. The now 12 year old boy, was steadily growing worse. Despite the medicine provided, the prince hadn't shaken his illness slightly.

The empire had been in up roar, the prince was assumed to be the last remaining son of the Emperor, on the off risk that the prince didn't recover there would be no-one to inherit the throne, which is why the council feared for the young boys life.

The clatter of machinery and hissing of steam echoed down the hall as the young prince dosed with a painful expression plastered on his face.

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"So this is Hamelin" mused a dark furred Grimalkin.

"That's what the map says... purrvided I read it right" responded another, whose light grey fur was speckled with dust and dirt.

"Are you certain Pepper" responded a longhaired woman, "you have got us lost before"

"Come off it Amelia, that was only once, and he has improved his map reading skills since then" spoke a short haired brunet, his violet eyes looked between the faces of his companions.

"Besides, he read it correctly this time" he finished.

"What makes you sure Swaine" spoke the dark furred Grimalkin.

"It isn't important Cinder" the young man spoke as he walked passed his companions. "We're wasting time standing here, let's find an in and settle down for the evening".

His companions passed quick glances between one and other before following him through the thick metal gates.

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For the past four years, Swaine had travelled with these same three people. They had first fond him creeping around the docks at Castaway cove and, after witnessing a stunt he had played on a crook, had requested he use his skills to assist them during a raid on a bandit camp, claiming that despite his young age his abilities in stealth along with his gun would be beneficial to them. The heist had been a success and they had travelled together since, completing bounty hunts and errands to get by.

Swain was the youngest among them, at only 19 he was a head shorter than the other three, but his determination and attitude met and exceeded that of his companions. His hair was slightly longer than it was after he left and his facial features had matured. He wore a simple leather tunic over a green shirt, and long brown trousers which tucked into short brown boots. Despite this he had hardly changed, which worried him as he risked being recognised by guards or citizens.

Cinder was a dark grey, 22 year old, female Grimalkin with a white muzzle. She had long fur and a small scar across her nose, her blue eyes shone with an array of shades which gave one the impression of a clear ocean. She wore a cream shirt under a leather tunic, along with a strap across her front which kept her shoulder guard in place. She wore cream coloured trousers with leather guards on her legs. along her belt she kept her dagger, and a small bag. despite her rugged appearance she was rather gentle compared to the others in the group.

Pepper was a Grimalkin with light grey fur and a white muzzle, like his sister Cinder, however, his eyes were emerald green. He was also 22 years old, however he had short fur and a more gentle appearance than his twin. He wielded a small green staff and used magic to aid his comrades in battle, though he didn't have the skills of a sage. He wore a green and brown robe over a black shirt and trousers, he wore simple sandals on his feet, unlike his sister he preferred to keep his feet clean.

The last member of the group was Amelia, she was a 24 year old woman for Perdida, her long hair curled into many tight springs and was tied back by a thin piece of fabric. Her eyes and hair were a dark brown. She wore a cream shirt underneath a short, dark red shawl. She wore leather guards on her arms and a leather tunic under her shawl. She wore long crimson trousers that were tucked neatly into long brown boots. She wielded a sword and small blade, which rested on her belt along with her bag. She was mostly quiet, but made passing remarks once in a while.

The quartet walked through the bronze streets until they passed the first duo of guards.

"Halt" one of the Grunts called. The group flinched and Swaine inwardly groaned _'I'm going to be caught'_.

"Who are you and what brings you to this city" his partner pried.

"We're just travellers, looking for bounty hunts in the area" Cinder mewed, her voice betraying her surprise.

"Likely story" the second of the two grunts scoffed. "You lot look like bandits, and we can't have the likes of that around here, be gone with you".

"B-but-t it's true, we-" Pepper stuttered over his words as he attempted to defend the group.

"DID you not hear me, BE GONE" the second Grunt shouted.

The first grunt's eyes strayed over in Swaine's direction, before snapping directly towards his face.

"B-by God" he stammered, Swaine felt himself grow cold.

By this time the second grunt had looked over towards what had startled his partner, and his face paled.

The other 3 travellers exchanged glances before looking at Swaine, confusion etched on their faces.

"I-It's the lost prince".


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Ni No Kuni or it characters, they are owned by Level 5.

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"H-he l-l-looks just like...".

"Just like Prince Gascon" his partner finished.

"You must be mistaken" Amelia interjected, "from what I'm aware of, the young prince Gascon, went missing over 4 years ago, and Swaine, here, has been with us for roughly the same amount of time, surely it would be impossible".

The two guards exchanged glances, uncertainty clearly showing in their expressions, before looking towards Swaine one last time, then sighing.

"I suppose that makes sense" the first guard eventually spoke. His partner looked at the group "the young Prince Marcassin could truly use his brother at this time" he muttered darkly.

'What' Swaine looked up towards the two guards, his mouth went dry as panic rose in his chest. His brother was in trouble?

"What exactly is the problem" Pepper inquired, his head tilting in a slight notion to express his confusion at the guards sudden change in stature.

"Huh" the guard barked, "a-ah never mind, suppose we believe you on being travellers" he said as he spared a glance at, the now pale Swaine, "you may pass but you won't find much work, not with the state the public is in", and with one final glance at Swaine they returned to their post.

"Fancy that, being mistaken for a prince, I suppose those guards were rather desperate... thinking _you_ were from the royal family" Cinder mused, her chin resting on her raised paw, a slight smirk plastered on her face.

"I-I guess we had best find a place to stay for the night, we can figure out how to tackle this 'work dilemma' in the morning" Pepper sighed, "I just hope we have enough Guilders to get back on that boat".

"I don't think we have, but we could try to travel north, the sooner we leave here the better, we don't need to get ourselves involved with this countries problems, why stay longer than needed" Amelia muttered, glancing at Swaine to see his reaction, but to her surprise, he looked distant, his eyes were focused on a point she couldn't see.

"I suppose..." he sighed, walking ahead of the others. Pepper and Cinder exchanged confused looks before following. Leaving Amelia to stare worryingly after Swaine. 'What secrets are you hiding' she wondered as her concern for the young man grew.

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Swaine lay on one of the inns beds, huffing as the soreness in his back subsided. At a loss of what to do, he merely stared at the ceiling allowing himself to be dragged into his own thoughts. _'Something is wrong with Marcassin, it clear as day that those guards were desperate for some form of help... but why. As far as I am aware everything was fine here'_ his eyes closed in concentration, _'There was very few issues with Hamelin products being found outside of Autumnia, and no rumours had made it further than these steel walls'_ , his brows furrowed, _'what could possibly be the problem?'_.

 _'Just what could possibly be plaguing my brother?',_ he thought his pondering making him anxious.

"So what are we going to do about work" Pepper inquired, snapping Swain from his thoughts. "We can hardly make it another month without a task" she continued.

"Maybe there will be some smaller tasks we can do to keep us afloat until this problem washes over, whatever the problem is exactly" Cinder responded, her ebony tail swishing from side to side in frustration.

"Setting sail is out of the question, we can't afford a room at the cat's cradle, a journey to Perdida is incredibly dangerous from here, we can't afford the equipment needed to get up those mountains safely " Amelia stated flatly, despite her dismissive tone her eyes betrayed her worry, "at the most, we could always scavenge for useful items on the plains, the monsters may carry some, and I'm certain we can find a piece of shadowglass or two between fights" she finished.

"I suppose..." Pepper sighed, his ears drooped at Amelia's suggestion, they could be stuck here a long time, selling items for mere guilders wouldn't keep them sheltered of fed for very long.

Swaine inwardly groaned, _'there's too many things wrong right now, only a month ago there were rumours of trouble with creatures along this shore'_ , the group had assumed this would be a good chance to make a fair amount of money. Despite Swaine's protests the group had decided to go.

"What do you think we should do Swaine" Cinder mewed, "you've been quiet since we got here", she pried.

He didn't reply.

"Swaine..." Cinder pressed, unsure what to think of the younger mans change in behaviour.

"Leave him be Cinder, it's been a long day for us all" Amelia sighed, "I'm sure we'll figure this all out in the morning, it would be best if we rest for now".

Cinder looked at her for a second, preparing a rebuke, but just sighed before turning to her bed and setting her weapons on the nightstand before settling down. Pepper followed suit and settled down in his own bed, but Amelia cast one last glance towards Swaine before she followed the others to rest.

Swaine was left alone to his thoughts yet again, this time however he allowed his mind to wander into memories from many years ago.

 _'Marcassin has never been one to act irrationally, so it's unlikely than this has been caused by unnecessary decrees or difficulties controlling crime rate. He's always shown interest in peoples well being, so it's unlikely that his actions and decisions caused riots or protests. could it be possible that some sort of illness caused this._

Thinking back on the short journey though the gilded streets, Swaine realised that many of the people they passed looked bedraggled and dazed, it was difficult to tell at first as they were not focused on their surroundings, but thinking back to it they looked poor of health, many had dark rings around their eyes, all of them looked as pale as plaster, the few he spared more than a quick glance looked half starved and hardly any were alert. It was as if they had contacted a plague, as if they were sick to death with worry.

 _'Sick!'_ realisation hit him like a rock, _'Is that it, is my brother ill'_ ,his younger brother had always been venerable to illness, due to this, any minor illness had always affected the young boy majorly worse than the average child. If this was the case, that his brother was ill, it would explain the way the guards acted, his brother would need him now more than ever, and if the worse happened to his brother the country would be without a successor as many believed Gascon to be dead.

Swaine felt his blood run cold, _'they wouldn't of acted so desperate if my brother had only fallen ill with a minor cold he had caught them in the past, but he had always recovered in a few days, despite being bedridden for that duration of time. No, this is something more serious'_ he fretted, the fear for his brother's well-being returning. _'l have to find out exactly what's going on'_ his protective nature resurfacing as he thought over the situation.

Looking at his companions, seeing that they were asleep, he crept towards the door leading to the hallway of the inn, before sneaking out the building entirely, already knowing where his intended destination was, he paced through the back alleys listing out for any gossip or rumours that could be of use to him. This method not only offered him information but also provided him a certainty of his surroundings, if someone or something was following him... he would hear.

Passing the group of citizens and patrols of guards, earning a few startled looks from the older members of the city, he had only just passed though the back alleys into the main street when a startled, aged citizen caught sight of him, and rushed over to block his path.

"I-it can't b-be..." The older man stuttered, "y-you- your dead, you died many years a-ago". When he uttered these words, another group of adults nearby cast glances over to the conversing pair. Aware that he was attracting attention simply by being in the open, Swaine quickly altered his plan before addressing the elderly man.

"Sir, I think you've mistaken me for someone else, I-" Swaine began, only to be interrupted by the older man, who had become too certain of his belief.

"No, I know that face, I worked at the palace for a time, I would know you anywhere young prince, I-" he continued excitedly, hope flaring in his eyes, it struck Swaine at his core, so much so that he couldn't disappoint this clearly desperate man, but what choice did he have.

"Keep your voice down" he hissed quietly, suddenly aware that many more people were beginning to notice the old man's outburst, each of them now staring at the duo, trying to catch a glimpse of the young man. "I'm afraid you have mistake me for this 'prince', I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am not him" Swaine spoke more loudly, and to his relief, many of the spectators lost interest in the old man's confident outburst.

the elder however, looked unconvinced, but didn't question Swaine and mumbles a half hearted apology before turning and, to Swaine's horror, stumbled over to a guard, presumable to report his find.

Filled with a sudden wave of dread, Swaine scampered into a nearby alleyway, luckily it was on his planed route, without wasting another second, he began to stalk through the maze of narrow passages that lined the backs of buildings on the main street. The buzz of activity echoed through the bronze, shadowed passage.

The gentle hum of the street gradually faded, the further he ventured into the twist and turns of the passages. The journey reminding him of past years. he would often take this path through the streets when he was younger in order to sneak out of the palace unnoticed, he had also brought Marcassin through this passage way when he trained him outside the city.

Far from his father's watchful gaze and the guards prying eyes.

They hadn't known at the time that his brother had the powers of the sage, and the elder of the two brothers intended to pass on what little knowledge he had gained from his former magic teacher, onto his little brother before Marcassin plucked up the courage and faced his father with the knowledge of his powers.

He had journeyed this path since he was nine, he was much too young to make that journey alone now that he looked back on it, though he would have denied any problem with the activity at the time as would only journey out to collect objects necessary in crafting his gun, and to explore the less known areas of the city.

Swaine was shaken from these memories when the entryway he had been seeking came into view. A simple bronze door, hardly different to the eye than any other door in the city, but seemingly built more sturdy than the foundation of the great city itself. Its locks were unpick able to any thief or skilled ruffian, the hinges overlapped by the heavy metal of the door, it would be impossible to open to anyone of the city, as the only key available to the long since unused door had been 'lost' over a decade ago.

Not that it had concerned anyone as the door was believed to have been blocked off decades ago when the passageway behind it crumbled due to misuse and neglect. The key had been kept within the palace and forgotten for years until the curious prince had stumbled across it while rummaging through the storage rooms draws, eventually his wanderings had led him to discover that it lead through a heavily damaged tunnel which had also lead to several old pipes, which in turn, spread out in a network or pipes and tunnels that passed under the city. More importantly, it had also lead to this very door that Swaine was currently faced with, a passageway only he knew about.

Sighing, he pulled a small chin containing said key, from under the cloth on his chest, a necklace he had left with when he left the city, and unlocked the door.

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A throbbing pain pierced through the mists of darkness that had engulfed the young boy in sleep. He blinked open his eyes through the haze of pain and exhaustion. He had been woken from his slumber earlier during the afternoon to be informed that several of the guards had supposedly reported seeing a individual who resembled his brother, in his desperation he had begged the messenger to bring the man to him, only to be informed that the man was not with them.

Under Marcassin's orders, they had set out to look for the man, the young prince attempting to remain awake until the soldiers reported back... but he had succumbed to fatigued before then.

Upon waking, he had realised that hours had passed, and he had missed a meal, a very poor circumstance considering his illness. And despite the dull throbbing in his head, the rumbling of his stomach caught his attention. He would need to eat soon if he planned on overcoming whatever illness had taken a hold of him.

 _'...Does Brother ever get enough to eat?'_ the young boy wandered, his thoughts once again resting on his brothers supposed return. His brothers whereabouts and well-being had always occupied the young boys mind, to the point where he worry restlessly about these unanswered questions. Luckily it have never affected him while he worked or trained in his magical abilities. But they had plagued him through many evenings when he had been left to his own devices.

A sharp pain surged through his body, and Marcassin let out a thin strained wail as it surged through his body. He drew in a shuddering breath as the pain faded into a dull ache.

Suppressing a sob, the young boy faced the door to his room and silently begged his brother to come home.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Ni No Kuni or it characters, they are owned by Level 5.

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The heavy *clunk* of the metal door echoed down the long since decayed passage way. The dust and rubble that was a result of neglect and abandonment, littered the once beautiful hallway, transforming it into little more than a meandering tunnel.

The icy atmosphere weaved itself around Swaine, as he stood in awe at the passageway before him, seeing the decrepit tunnel caused him to reminiscent about the past, it had been over five years since he had journeyed through these entwining tunnels. The last time, he had brought his brother through so they could sneak out the city to train, they had found themselves at the mercy of an Earth Ogrr and had been rescued by four individuals who later travelled back to their time.

Shaking himself from his memories, he journeyed through the twisting pathway, hurling himself over boulders, zigzagging through rubble and ducking through narrow gaps to travel through the tight remains of the once elegant corridors. These had once lead to the servants quarters many eons ago, but once many of the then Emperors children ventured out to make their own place in the world, less staff were needed so these hallways were sealed off and abandoned. Later it fell to ruin and was lost from the memory and knowledge of everyone...

 _'...Except me'_ Swaine thought to himself. The curious teen had discovered its location when exploring the less used corridors of the castle, and had come across a door, hidden behind an old portrait of a long forgotten prince (one that had left the country 2 decades after his birth and had faded into non-existence). He had explored the network of tunnels in the following weeks, until his brother followed him to the portrait, luckily he had spotted Marcassin before journeying through the misused corridor. If he had been caught, the network would of been sealed off for good, and he would have been forbidden from leaving his room without a bodyguard.

Swaine sighed, sometimes it had seemed like his father wished to hide him from the world, but he knew this wasn't the case. His father had always dragged him along during royal processions, since the moment he could stand, the was no denying that he had wished to involve his eldest child in public events... yet he had never allowed Swaine to venture beyond the castle walls any other time.

Reaching the first entrance to the castle (the one hidden behind the painting), Swaine internally recited the pathways he would need to take, the current hall lead into an derelict pipe, which in turn lead into the three other passages, the north leading to the current servants quarters, library, and study rooms. The east passageway lead to the bedrooms and living quarters. And, the west passage lead to the factories, and more importantly, the underground ruins. To get to his brother he would need to take the east route.

With that out of the way, he looked up at the decrepit door, which had once been bolted shut, but had now rusted to the point where it could be opened. Holding his breath to better hear the noises from behind the door, he strained to hear even the slightest hint of movement. To his relief, there was none.

Taking this opportunity he darted under the staircase, that lead up to the rusted door, and wove through the gap at the back of the wall, squeezing himself into the tunnel-like pipe.

The rusting pipe was covered in a layer of dust and rubble from the same factors which decayed the previous hallway, the once copper metal that lined the walls had long since become green. The walls were void of any marks that could of indicated what these pipes carried.

Wasting no more time, Swaine rushed forwards into the maze of pathways. Yet again twisting around fallen concrete and cement, meandering through scattered rubble, and decaying debris. He led himself through the dying passageway towards the old storage room. Though still in use, it was hardly opened, only really accessed when the boiler in that room needed repairs. The stream of water and steam hissed though the used pipes on the other side of the decaying copper walls as the young brunet walked through the decrepit tunnel becoming aware of every pattern, dip, and rise in the pattern of the tunnel.

He traced the final few meters from his memory, before climbing up a damaged part of the pipe (jutting out to for a small platform), and pushing through the drain above him. The dim light from the room above was a sharp contrast to the murky pipes he had recently journeyed through, the light stung his eyes as he squinted; adjusting to the change.

Slowly, the room began to take shape, the gilded, brass boiler stood proudly at the back of the room, along the adjacent walls, stood rows upon rows of storage crates and cupboards containing miscellaneous objects. Swaine crawled stealth-fully out of the drain, lowered the lid until it landed with an inaudible clang. Looking at the light filtering through the copper door, he focused his hearing to check for patrolling guards.

Hearing nothing but the gentle stream of water and grinding of the clockwork city, he smirked and let out a satisfied huff, before journeying forward through the gilded door. Blinking at the change of light, he darted through the halls. Silently gliding through the shining hallways, the light footed man mapped his way through the maze before him.

Passing through the final hall on his journey, he marvelled at the decorative flags and ornaments that littered the walls and tables that occupied the alcoves, each covered by a bright purple curtain. Each artefact and ornament displayed ranged from different eras of the dynasty. Each ancient, each valuable, each precious to the advancement of magic and knowledge... each were worth nothing in his hands, each a painful reminder of the failure he was, and of the disappointment in his father's gaze every time they crossed paths.

Suppressing a sigh, Swaine turned dismally, and trekked through the final stretch of hallway before coming to a stop in front of a set of bronze, double doors. Standing at least three times his height, they towered over him, casting one last glance down the hall, he opened the looming gateway and stepped inside.

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Through the haze of dizziness and discomfort, the young prince Marcassin was awoken by a click and creak from the doors to his room. Blinking open his eyes through the haze of his illness he noticed a shadow skulk through the narrow passage he had created before closing the door, blocking any light from the room. Shivering from the cold rush of air, he fearfully realised the danger of the situation, this man had not knocked, or announced his presence or title as any guard or servant would do, he could only be a threat.

Adjusting to the dim, moonlit room, the young boy looked up to see the dark shadow lurking over him... looking down on him. Nauseating fear rose from his stomach to his throat, preparing to let out a frightened wail, the young prince stopped when he heard the stranger speak.

"It's ok... your safe" the tone and flow of this man's words struck a chord in the young boy, and triggered an emotion he had not felt in a long time. Searching his memory, he found this feeling woven in many childhood moments. Memories, both good and bad, stretched in front of him, each had one similarity.

He knew this man, ' _no, it's more than that... I trust this man... but why, who is he_ '. Focusing his vision once more in desperation to learn the truth, he noticed the faint outline of finer features, his eyes, nose and hair were all coated with a layer of warm light from the embers of the lantern left on his desk. His mind ticked and his eyes widened in realisation.

 _'...Brother... You're home'_ the young prince smiled as the strangers identity became known, tears of relief and joy gathered in the corners of his eyes, and threatened to spill over is pale, plaster-like cheeks. Opening his mouth to croak out his brother's name, he realised that his brother was alone, meaning that he wasn't escorted.

Understanding the situation a bit more clearly, he whispered "...you-your home, Gascon. Y-you finally came home" his voice broke into a sob as he finished, tears spilled freely from his clouded eyes as he took in a hoarse breath.

His brother smiled down on him, without saying a word he left the young princes side, closing his eyes due to his increasing pain, the young prince let out a sigh.

Feeling the hair covering his forehead being brushed aside before feeling the cool brush of a damp cloth being placed on his forehead. The dull ache in his head faded into a gentle dizziness. The young boy looked up as his brother spoke.

"It's good to see you too... Brother" the elder of the two said, a hint of relief in his voice. The tears gathering in his purple eyes glimmered in the weak light from the embers of the lantern.

Hearing him suppress a sob, Marcassin attempted to rise from his position in the bed, falling short he raised his arm in an attempt to reach his brother. Noticing his struggle, the elder brother lifted the young prince into a comfortable sitting position. Once he was comfortable seated against his pillows, Gascon sat back and looked at his brother for a moment, seemingly looking for something, before rising back onto his feet and walking towards the potions cabinet in the corner. Hearing him mutter something about fever.

He returned moments later carrying a small bottle of Great Sages secret, and spring water. Setting the water on the bedside table, he opened the other bottle and poured a spoonful of the potion out, offering this to his younger brother he explained, "it will heal the worst of your illness, it won't fully heal you though, so you will still have to be careful".

Setting the bottle on the side he continued "your illness had progressed to the point where medicine would have no affect on it, had no one treated you before then".

"They thought it was just a case of the flu..." the younger brother started, stopping to take a breath, "It was only two days ago when they realised that wasn't the case, It has only worsened since then" he finished breathlessly, the illness making it harder to breathe.

His elder brother looked down, angry at the doctors incompetence. Discomforted at his elder brothers change in posture, the young boy spoke "I wasn't as ill back then... they... they probably couldn't tell". At this point he had become more comfortable, the pain in his head and chest eased as the potion took effect, the dizzying affect on his mind had lifted, allowing him to process the situation more carefully. His brother was here alone, no guard announced their presence or escorted him inside, which was odd .

"How did you get here, did the guards find you?" Marcassin queried, his curiosity getting the better of him. His brother looked up sharply, seemingly taken aback by his brothers words.

Eventually he spoke, "no I found my own way here".

"BROTHER, you need to be more careful, if the guard found you, you would be killed, they were looking for you throughout the city today why didn't you go with them when they saw you" he started angrily, fearing for his brothers safety.

"I can't draw too much attention to myself, if everyone found out who I was I could be put in some serious danger, I'm here to help you, but I can't stay for too long, there are still some things I need to do before coming back officially... If you'll have me back" he answered, worrying his brother even more.

"Of course I want you back, you're my BROTHER... b-but if you have things to do, please do them as quick as you can... so you can come back as soon as possible" he began assertively, ending in his usual shy demeanour.

His brother didn't respond, he only smiled gleefully before reaching over to the nightstand and retrieving the spring water, handing they clear water to his brother. Gratefully, he accepted the clear liquid.

"I'll do my best..." Gascon whispered as his brother drank the clear liquid.

Finishing the beverage, the prince set the empty bottle on the side, looking up at his brother once more, he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a yawn.

Chuckling, Gascon lifted his brother before placing him back onto the bed in a comfortable laying position, lifting the heavy duvet over his brother, he made sure the young prince was covered with his head poking out of the thick, fluffy sheets.

"Get some sleep brother, you'll need it if you wish to recover" the elder brother spoke, walking over to the night stand he picked up the empty bottle and remainder of the potion and moved them back to their respective positions, casting one last glance at his brother, he spoke one again.

"Goodnight Marcassin" he said as he walked over to the closed double doors, preparing to sneak back out.

"Goodnight... Brother" the young prince responded, watching his brother as he opened the further most door before walking out, closing the door behind him. Feeling drowsy he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall into a peaceful slumber.

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The journey back went more smothery than the journey there, due to the late hour, hardly anyone wondered the streets of Hamelin, and the guards didn't notice as he slipped through the alleyways and passageways of the sleeping city.

He slipped silently through the door to his room at the inn, slowly closing the door and locking it, he began creeping silently across the room to his bed. checking his companions to see whether any of them had woken during his entrance, he let out a relieved sigh when he was met with the gentle breathing of the three shadowed figures. Turning back to his bed, he settled under the worn, ragged covers, a stark difference to the down pillows and regal covers of the room he was in only an hour before. Shrugging off the feeling of longing, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall into a shallow but un-interrupted sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, a singular pair of dark brown eyes watched him from behind a ragged blanket. they shone with pity and worry.

"Just what is bothering you Swaine" a concerned voice murmured almost inaudibly.


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